Is This What I'm Left With? Dog Ears or Swelling and Will This Go Away on Its Own? (photo)

I am 20 years old and 8 weeks out of surgery. I lost 100 lbs a few years ago and go a tummy tuck in the beginning of the summer. My results are not bad at all, the only thing I'm hating is the ends of my incision. Could this be possible swelling still or are these dog ears? I'm going back to school soon and wont have time to see my PS again until Thanksgiving and I was hoping for the best and just having this be swelling and not dog ears.

Doctor Answers 7

Dogears after Tummy Tuck Surgery

Congratulations on your weight loss!! I do think you have small dogears on each side. This may resolve with conservative measures such as massage, but time will tell.

I would plan to check back with your plastic surgeon at Thanksgiving. If the same or not significantly improved, they can be safely addressed in the office with some local numbing medicine. Recovery is minimal and should not affect your school schedule.

Tummy tuck result

August 10th, 2012

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It looks like you have a pretty good result. Please give more time for your swelling to resolve. massaging those "dog ear" areas will likely help flatten these areas. If they do not resolve, I would recommend you see your PS when you return to the area for a possible scar revision (dog ear excision) if it is needed. Best of luck!

Tummy Tuck Pictures

? Dog Ears or Swelling and Will This Go Away on Its Own?

August 10th, 2012

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Overall it looks like you have had a very nice result. If these are the ends of the incisions, it looks as though your surgeon went as far as possible without turning you over to do a more extensive body lift.

These irregularities at the ends of a TT incision are not uncommon, and I think that is what you have. you may get some improvement over a few months, but chances are that to get rid of these the incisions will have to be lengthened a bit. Usually this is an office procedure under local anesthesia.

Dog ears after tummy tuck

August 10th, 2012

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The folds at the end of your tummy tuck do look like dog ears, or more politely put, a residual skin fold or excess at the incision end. We all hate the idea of a revision, but all of us will see them from time to time depending on the degree and location of skin excess, and choosing where we might best end the incision. Yours might go away though, if not an office revision of the fold will solve the issue.

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